﻿Four years ago, Bazil's lover left him without so much as a note. Just like that. Never came home from work. From that fateful day, Bazil becomes a recluse, until he meets the Swimmer, a young Olympian who will change his life forever. This is a beautiful love story of loss, tragic circumstance, and hope. It will leave you applauding for more.﻿

BIO.Louis J Harris lives in Germiston, South Africa with his hubby and stepson and two damned naughty Yorkshire terriers. His first book, called Revival, was published in 2006 and introduced South Africa to her first gay literary detective. He writes thrillers and romance, lots of short stories, and heads up the editing program for gayauthors.org. He is also a member of the Professional Editor's Group of South Africa.

Excerpt

It’s a feeling like none other. An addiction. Exhilarating. Motivating. You’ve had it ever since you first said hi to him. It’s everything about him; his smell, his erotic passion, his romantic passion and his flaws. There is a strong, bold attachment to him and you cannot imagine him going home to Catherine although he must. Rubbing his fine, lithe body with suntan lotion, you recall that he’s just twenty, not a loser. When he’s thirty, you’ll be forty and so on. A lifetime is a short time to spend together. He’ll most likely dump you later. They all do. One cock isn’t enough for them. But, for now, you’re content with what you’ve heard. He loves you. That’s big. ‘Mom, you’re keeping time today,’ Will says. ‘Don’t forget to reset the watch after every swim. When we are done we’ll check the times against yesterday’s attempts.’ ‘Fine with me. Take your time and don’t overdo it.’ Her finger is on the start button. Ruan helps you bring the canoe forward to place it in the ocean and within a few moments you’re seated and waiting for Catherine’s go. ‘Okay, let’s do this….GO!’ The canoe thrashes and bounces through the waves trying to catch up with Will. He’s like a fish at one with the water. You’re breathless, rowing as fast as you can as he reaches the buoy and makes his turn. He’s dead on yesterday’s time. He’s going to break that record set yesterday. And then suddenly you’re flying through the air.

The moment you hit the surface your eyes are closed and you’re thrashing about. Heart pounding. You can’t scream because you’re in a lucid dream with fear all around you, but your eyes scream. Your body contracts. Screams coming from the beach. The water is red. You know and understand it’s a shark and when you look back you see a torn, exposed tendon on your right heel. You try and swim away as quickly as you can but you’re too weak to get to shore. Too weak…and then there’s a vice clamp on your right hand and you’re staring into the jaws of the one creature most feared on this earth. Shark. And you remember suddenly that the birds aren’t migrating. They’re feeding off the sardines, and so are whales and sharks and Gannets and gulls. William turns immediately and rushes towards you, arms flailing, struggling to free you from those unforgiving jaws with little thought for his own life. He hits out at the giant fishes body and misses once or twice but finally manages to punch it on the nose. It releases. But takes your hand with it. Will fights for your life in a sea of blood and screams towards the beach that you’ve been injured. He takes you in his grip and swims towards the beach, terrified that the shark will return, but knowing that the creature is also filled with fear now. He won’t return. Not right away.